Just saw a video called sympathy for the devil that is a movie about the recording sessions... anyone know if this is any good and worth twenty bucks... are there interviews and music?

Then I said Hi, like a spider to a fly...

It's worth it, it's a classic stones film directed by jean luc godard where you follow the making and recording of sympathy for the devil step by step.
But you may find it boring.

It's a movie you really want to like but.......

Only half of the film features the Stones recording "Sympathy for the Devil", the various scenes are intercut with an arthouse film about the '60's counterculture

I like some of Godard's films such as "Je Vous Salue,Marie (Hail Mary)" and "Carmen", but I found this one tedious and unwatchable in the extreme.

The Stones' clips are quite dull as well for the most part.

Avoid.

But every stones fan must have that film in the collection!

I don't recall ever seeing a better performance of guns being tossed around a junkyard. And any film that quotes an excerpt from a novel about John Foster Dulles deserves a place in history.

Oh yeah, there are those recording sessions of the Stones making SFTD included as well . . .

In short and more seriously, I don't regret having spent the $20, but expect I won't being watching it again.



Incidentally, there have been reports on this site of video outtakes from those recording sessions included in another movie.

so in other words, its not really any good?? you guys arent making me feel like i should go out an get this

Then I said Hi, like a spider to a fly...

Yeah, you should get it anyway, I have many Stones Videos, and made before all the technology we have today, but then I still spin my old albums from time to time. I love that acetate sound. But you be the judge. Remember, "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder." I love seeing the Stones on those videos, like you're right there with them. I'll go from one to the other of a night.

I had this film at one time. Watched it once and tried to watch it a second time. Over the years and many moves, it is misplaced. I feel no need to search it out or replace it.

The Worst Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> But every stones fan must have that film in the
> collection!
>

well....as the thread starter wasnt familiar with it, I presumed he/she is a relative beginner in collecting Stones videos/DVDs....personally, I wouldnt recommend it unless you HAVE to have everything...

The Stones sequences are interesting in a fly on the wall sort of way, although musically nothing great. The non-Stones scenes are IMO almost unwatchable.

I didnt buy the film...it was on TV in the UK about 20 years ago and I taped it. I sure as hell wouldnt buy it.

thanks for all the help... i am a relative beginer in dvds, and i bought just for the record, and i was pretty pissed that it included no real music... thanx for the help

Then I said Hi, like a spider to a fly...

Bottom line: Godard has footage of the band in 1968 developing SFTD, slowly, trying different arrangements,in the studio from inception to final version. If that interests you - seeing the Stones at work in '68, get it. The rest is (non-RS)rather dull for most, but certainly a period piece. It is not intended to capture the excitement of live performance, but the tedium & hard work that goes with creation & development in studio.

I've never been able to stay awake through the damned thing.

I think the sense of being a fly on the wall during BBanquet recording sessions is interesting, but I think the slow work of creating something new was partly Godard's counterpoint to other segments, if I recall those correctly (the are dull). I recall Barbara Charone's article about being present during a Black & Blue session, how long & tedious it was before the group caught fire & 'struck gold,' if you will, musically....

BUt man would I love to read that article about the Black n blue recordings. IS it to be found on the web?

Gazza;
well....as the thread starter wasnt familiar with it, I presumed he/she is a relative beginner in collecting Stones videos/DVDs....personally, I wouldnt recommend it unless you HAVE to have everything...

First I'm man (a natural born lovers man), second I have seen enough videos of the stones to come up with an opinion about sympathy for the devil.

I think the video is great because you see how the band works in studio, and see how they made one of their best songs and it's cool that a moviemaker made the film - not the stones themselves. But the film can not be compared with films like gimme shelter,and many people don't like this film and just finds it boring.

But I think it is a movie you better have in your collection anyway.

The guy in the black hanging around the studio thats Gram parson's right.

If you notice Jagger and Jones are playing the opening rhythm and keith comes
by and sits down and the song takes off.keith is playing in open E.

Also keith plays a creamy blues riff fooling around on electric and you wonder
why he never played those licks going foward.

Also keith i think towards the end when he is sitting down is fooling around
with little queenie.

Rubbish. Don't buy it, try to download it for free instead. The Stones part never documents the actuall transition to a samba which perhaps is the interesting part. Otherwise Keith plays som fast lead licks and Nicky does some great keyboard work.

Quote
Bärs
Rubbish. Don't buy it, try to download it for free instead. The Stones part never documents the actuall transition to a samba which perhaps is the interesting part. Otherwise Keith plays som fast lead licks and Nicky does some great keyboard work.

I think the film is great as far as documenting the songwriting process, seeing how they work in the studio, the tension w Brian, etc. it is fairly easy to skip through the pretentious non-stones segments.

Paying $20 knowing you're only going to like half the film doesn't seem worth the expense in this case (even one of the extra features has a non-Stones music video, the other extra being the theatrical trailer), especially since all The Stones bits from the film are available on YouTube.

But here are a couple of samples so that you can ultimately decide for yourself.

Here's the official trailer:





Here's a lengthier trailer showing some of the non-Stones art clips as well:





Here's the end sequence.

the stones parts are great, the arty political mish mash bits are crap

For me 20 bucks to get a glimpse into how they wrote sympathy was a better value more than however much concert tickets are... And the concert was worth it too

Quote
sonomastone

Quote
Bärs
Rubbish. Don't buy it, try to download it for free instead. The Stones part never documents the actuall transition to a samba which perhaps is the interesting part. Otherwise Keith plays som fast lead licks and Nicky does some great keyboard work.

I think the film is great as far as documenting the songwriting process, seeing how they work in the studio, the tension w Brian, etc. it is fairly easy to skip through the pretentious non-stones segments.

Sonomastone, you need to bring every thread from 1492 back in play?!

Quote
Vocalion

Quote
sonomastone

Quote
Bärs
Rubbish. Don't buy it, try to download it for free instead. The Stones part never documents the actuall transition to a samba which perhaps is the interesting part. Otherwise Keith plays som fast lead licks and Nicky does some great keyboard work.

I think the film is great as far as documenting the songwriting process, seeing how they work in the studio, the tension w Brian, etc. it is fairly easy to skip through the pretentious non-stones segments.

Sonomastone, you need to bring every thread from 1492 back in play?!

Holy crap, I just noticed that! I thought it was a new thread because, you know, it suddenly appeared on page 1. And since Mickjagg65's last activity was 3 months ago, I guess the OP won't be checking my answer to his post anytime soon. Relatively new to DVDs? I thought that was because the OP was old, but no, turns out it's because this thread's old, from a time when DVDs were, well, relatively new.

ha ha i'm a stones fan of 40 years who is just discovering the board, finding some good threads from the past that i thought others might be interested in.

Quote
pinkfloydthebarber
the stones parts are great, the arty political mish mash bits are crap

This